A Christmas of Better Goodbyes
by ShiningHopeBeast
Summary: The Admin has been defeated. Both the New and Old Order of the Stone are split up. But the New Order gets together once again to celebrate a special holiday, and a bittersweet story ensues. The New Order goes their separate ways much happier than before, and a special gift from her friends makes Jesse realize that they are not the only ones who need a better goodbye. {RE-UPLOADED}


**_EDITED AND RE-UPLOADED_**

 _[_ _All Authors' Notes have remained unchanged]_

* * *

 _Quick A/N: Hey guys! Just wanted to quickly note that this is my first MCSM fic. I wrote it up in the seven days between the release of Season 2, Episode 5 and Christmas, and_ ** _there are spoilers for the Finale of MCSM and it includes the result of certain choices made during the series_** _. I hope you enjoy it!_

 _Also, Merry Christmas everyone!_

 ** _DISCLAIMER:_** _I do not own Minecraft, Minecraft Story Mode, or Telltale Games_

* * *

 ** _CRASH!_**

Axel blinked as he sat sprawled on the floor. The space around him was completely covered; not one bare block of the floor could be seen. Pine leaves and sticks were spread across the ground, along with nearly a hundred different ornaments varying in shape, size, and color (luckily, none were broken). Blocks of pine wood were scattered among the jumble, as well as huge, long strings of lights and shiny, silver tinsel.

For a few seconds, there was only silence in the Order Hall.

Then, Petra began to laugh, loud and boisterous, doubling over and holding her sides as she guffawed and shook with mirth.

Everyone abruptly joined in, filling the room with the sound of laughter and joy, and a sense of a great big family at home. (Except for Lluna. She simply eyed Axel with a faint look of disdain.)

It felt good to have everyone here, together at last. With Petra gone adventuring for such a long time, Ivor on his quest to reunite the Old Order of the Stone (especially hard since Soren was completely nowhere to be found), and Axel and Olivia busy in Boom Town and Redstonia, they hadn't all been together in a long, long time.

Despite having been knocked down on accident by Axel, the Christmas tree, along with all the other decorations in the room, looked especially festive. Twinkling lights were strung along the top of the walls and across the ceiling. Stockings for each person covered the walls, along with other Christmassy things like wreaths. A table was set up in the center of the room where the group had eaten their dinner previously. They had just been passing out Christmas gifts from under the tree, and Axel had just delivered the last batch when, walking back towards the tree, he tripped and fell into it. Of course, it was just his luck that he managed to knock over the entire tree and make all the tree decorations come crashing down.

Radar began to freak out as he rapidly paced back and forth. "Ohh, this is going to take _forever_ to clean up! I put all the ornaments on the tree in chronological order, but now they're all mixed up, all over the floor, and I have no idea how to organize them anymore, and the lights are all tangled up with the tinsel, and not a single block of the tree is still standing! And these decorations were supposed to stay up until New Year's, and it already took a whole week to fix up the Order Hall, and a whole day just to set up the tree, let alone decorate it, and-"

"RADAR!" shouted Jessie, waving a hand in front of his face. She effectively snapped him out of his ramble. "Breathe, buddy. It's all going to be okay!" She patted him gently on the shoulder as he stopped hyperventilating and took a few deep breaths.

"Take a deep breath, Radar," he muttered to himself, wiping his glasses off briefly on his sleeve.

Petra barely seemed to notice this exchange. "Haha!" she chortled. "The look on your face was priceless, Axel!" But being good-spirited, she went over and held out a hand to help Axel up. Luckily, her strength was fitting for Axel's burly size. However, as Axel stood up, he found himself completely covered with and tangled in the decorations.

"Uhh, a little help here?" he asked sheepishly.

"Right away, Axel, sir!" came Radar's immediate reply, his habit of over-formality with the New Order still in full force. He scrambled over to him. "Ohh, this is such a mess!" he quietly wailed.

Olivia walked over as well, gears already turning in her brain. "Let me see if I can help," she offered. She evaluated the situation carefully. "Hmm, the most efficient way to extract Axel from the tangle would be to find an end and work on untangling only that strand. Any other way would tangle him up even more."

"I've got an end of tinsel!" called Lukas, who had been carefully rummaging about the destruction. He picked it up to show the others.

"Great!" Olivia replied. She walked over and took it from him. She tried to follow it with her eyes, but couldn't manage to keep track of it. "Hey, Radar, can you come and help me with this?" She beckoned him to come over.

"Of course, Olivia, ma'am," he replied, navigating cautiously but quickly over to her.

Though Olivia found his little quirk quite endearing, she focused on the task at hand. She handed him the end, which he took with fumbling hands. "I need you to coil up this tinsel as tight as you can so it will be easier to untangle."

Radar nodded rapidly. "Right away, Olivia, ma'am."

Meanwhile, Harper leaned against the wall, watching them. "Don't you think that we should help them?" she asked Ivor.

He shrugged. "They'll be fine on their own. After all, they are capable young adults and they shouldn't need help from an old geezer like me."

Harper chuckled and shook her head. "You're just making excuses to be lazy," she chided.

"I am not lazy!" he retorted. "I used to be a _ninja_!" He struck a pose and flicked out several potion bottles.

Harper sighed and laughed again.

Soon enough, by the time Olivia and Radar had set Axel free, Petra, Lukas, and Jessie had cleaned up most of the other mess. They gathered everyone to sit together in a large circle on the floor to open their presents.

"Ivor and Harper have to leave soon to head to Crown Mesa" Jesse began, "so they should open their presents first, and we should open our presents from them after that." Ivor and Harper had decided to collaborate on gifts together rather than as two individual gifts. To Harper and Ivor, the New Order (and Radar) had worked together on a group gift for each of them.

"You can start it off, Harper," suggested Ivor.

Harper's gift was in a decent-sized silver gift bag. First, she pulled out a book. "Ellegard's Complete Guide to Redstone," Harper read off the cover. She riffed through the pages of the extremely thick book. "How long did it take her to write this?"

"I would estimate two or three years," Olivia guessed. "She even included her thoughts on her latest project, the Command Block."

"And we added in our own original ideas for Redstone stuff," Axel added.

"Well, thank you," Harper said, smiling. As she slid the book back in, she spotted something else. "What's this?" She put her hand in the bag and dug around a bit before pulling out the second item.

"Gunpowder?" She looked at it curiously.

"AXEL!" came the unanimous shout from the other members of the New Order.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "What? I couldn't resist."

Radar groaned, and Jessie shook her head but smiled. Petra rolled her eyes as Olivia crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at the burly young man. Lukas simply patted Axel on the back. "Of course, Axel," he chuckled.

"Ivor's up next," Jessie moved on.

His present was wrapped in dark blue wrapping paper scattered with silver stars. After unwrapping the chest, he set the scraps aside and opened it up.

"A piece of gunpowder," he began slowly, holding it up for the others to see.

"Really, Axel?" Lukas sighed.

He shrugged. "I told you. I couldn't resist."

"A stack of tipped arrows!" Ivor continued. "Aaand, a bow with some sort of enchantment." He held up the two items in his hands.

"It's a Flame bow!" Petra explained excitedly.

"This is wonderful!" Ivor exclaimed as he beamed. "Thank you all for these gifts."

Ivor and Harper gathered their things quickly and placed their gifts in their inventory before they all headed out to the Portal. Once they were there, the goodbyes began.

Jessie was the last to say goodbye. She shook Harper's hand. "It was nice to have you here tonight."

"I was honored to come," replied Harper with a smile.

Jessie turned to Ivor. After deliberating a moment, she pulled him into a hug. Though he let out a yelp of surprise, he hugged her tightly back.

"I'm so glad that you could come," she said as they embraced.

"Me too, Jessie," he said with a smile.

"I know that you will find Soren and reunite your old friends at last," she encouraged him.

"I will keep that in mind," he replied. "Thank you."

They broke apart, and Harper pulled out the enchanted flint and steel to light the Portal. It lit up with a blue flare.

"Goodbye, Harper! Goodbye, Ivor!" came a chorus of shouts and waves. Harper waved in return before stepping through first, the Portal whisking her away to the Portal Hallway. Ivor headed to go as well. But before he stepped through, he turned his head back, and with a wink, he called out one of his catchphrases.

"Adventure!"

He ran through the Portal with a blue flash, and they were gone.

Jessie wasn't sad at this goodbye. She was happy that she could see the two again, and content in knowing in her heart that she would see them again someday. Still, she gazed at the Portal after their departure without a word until Lluna head-butted her in the back gently.

"Let's go open more presents!" she told the others with a grin. They all walked back to the main part of the Order Hall.

Axel plopped down in his spot. "I think we should speed things up," he said. "It's kinda boring when we go just one person at a time," he complained.

"So what are you suggesting?" asked Lukas. "A free-for-all?"

"I like that idea," Petra agreed. "It'll bring some excitement!"

Radar shook his head furiously. "I don't think that's a good idea. It'll be so messy, so chaotic, so unorganized!" Lukas nodded slightly along with him.

Axel looked at Jesse. "Well, what do you think, Jesse?" he asked.

"Yeah, boss," said Radar. (Although he was no longer Jesse's intern but a Hero-in-Residence himself, he still tended to give himself the role of intern and often still referred to Jesse as his boss.)

Jessie was torn between the two choices. Axel and Petra's idea sounded really fun, but Lukas and Radar had a good point that it should have some organization. Oh, but Axel looked so excited! But Radar looked physically sick at the idea. How could she choose one over the other!?

Luckily, Olivia sensed her conflict and saved her. "How about we compromise?" she suggested. "We each open one gift at a time, but we all open it at the same time. Then we can take a break to look at it before opening the next gift."

"That's a great idea!" Jesse exclaimed, relieved she didn't have to choose.

Axel shrugged. "I guess that's cool." Radar sighed, looked relieved that there wouldn't be mass chaos ensuing.

"Okay!" Petra began. "Everyone, pick a present-" She paused to let everyone grab a gift from his/her individual pile. "And open it on three. One, two, THREE!"

There was a flurry of wrapping paper, ribbons, and tissue paper as everyone tore open the first gifts. Except for Radar. He was very careful with his present, meticulously peeling off the tape on his and trying to keep the wrapping paper fully intact.

 _(A/N: I got lazy here, so this is just a list of all the different presents they got from each other and Harper/Ivor.)_

 _Round 1:  
Petra: Petra's set of armor with a whole bunch of crazy enchantments on it, from Harper and Ivor  
Olivia: a piece of gunpowder, from Axel  
Axel: elytra, from Petra  
Jessie: a book signed personally by all the people in Beacontown, from Radar  
Lukas: a bow with Power III, Infinity, and Unbreaking II, from Jesse  
Radar: a signed copy of Lukas' book with a personal inscription, from Lukas_

 _Round 2:  
Petra: a diamond sword with Unbreaking III and Sharpness III, from Jesse  
Olivia: a signed copy of Lukas' book with a personal inscription, from Lukas  
Axel: a bunch of different potions, from Harper and Ivor  
Jessie: half a stack of golden apples, from Olivia  
Lukas: a book and quill, from Radar  
Radar: a piece of gunpowder, from Axel_

 _Round 3:  
Petra: a signed copy of Lukas' book with a personal inscription, from Lukas  
Olivia: a Guide to Armor Creation, from Ivor and Harper  
Axel: a book and quill, from Radar  
Jessie: a piece of gunpowder, from Axel  
Lukas: a set of maps from her adventures, from Petra  
Radar: an ender chest, from Olivia_

 _Round 4:  
Petra: a piece of gunpowder, from Axel  
Olivia: a book and quill, from Radar  
Axel: a stack of fire charges, from Jesse  
Jessie: a totem of undying, from Petra  
Lukas: a couple of music discs and a jukebox, from Olivia  
Radar: a custom set of armor, from Ivor and Harper_

 _Round 5:  
Petra: a shulker box, from Olivia  
Olivia: a stack of purpur blocks, from Petra  
Axel: a signed copy of Lukas' book with a personal inscription, from Lukas  
Jessie: a journal of records about the Old Order of the Stone, from Ivor and Harper  
Lukas: a piece of gunpowder, from Axel  
Radar: two new shields, from Jesse_

 _Round 6:  
Petra: a book and quill, from Radar  
Olivia: three stacks of rails, from Jesse  
Axel: diamond boots with Feather Falling II, from Olivia  
Jessie: a signed copy of Lukas' book with a personal inscription, from Lukas  
Lukas: five stacks of stained terracotta, each stack a different color, from Harper and Ivor  
Radar: a bone block, from Petra_

 _(A/N: If you want me to fully write out this/these scene(s), let me know in a review. [Ex: what the inscriptions are for each person, how Petra got all her gifts, why Axel just gave everyone a single piece of gunpowder, and more!] I will if someone wants me to, though it may take a while. Maybe I'll do it even if no one asks.)_

The Order Hall was a huge mess. Wrapping paper was torn and scattered everywhere, bags and chests were strewn about on the floor. Except, again, for Radar's area. All his chests were neatly lined up on the floor, all the items organized, and the wrapping paper and tissue paper folded up perfectly. Looking all around him, he moaned to himself at the disorder.

Olivia got up. "I think it's time Axel and I get going back to Redstonia and Boom Town," she sighed.

Axel pulled himself up reluctantly. "It was so great being able to see everyone again," he said, stuffing his things into his inventory. "I'll really miss you guys." He swiped at his eyes quickly, trying to be inconspicuous. Of course, all his friends noticed, but no one called him out on it.

"Aww, Axel," Jessie said as she went over and gave him a hug. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll all get together again someday. The day Petra left wasn't the last time we were all together, and neither will today be."

Petra joined them. "Yeah. And we'll always be friends no matter what."

"Group hug!" shouted Olivia, grabbing Lukas and Radar by the wrists to pull them in.

"Thanks, guys," Axel said as he squeezed his friends in his tight grip. "You've helped cheer me up." He smiled.

They broke away, and Olivia and Axel began to head out. "Bye, everyone!" Axel shouted, now grinning. This time he felt cheerful as he said goodbye. "See you guys around!"

Soon they were gone as well.

"I have to run back to my house to grab something," Lukas told the others. "Since I have my horse, it shouldn't take long. I'll be back soon." He quickly walked out of the Order Hall.

Radar scratched his neck. "Oh! That reminds me. I-I need to . . . go do . . . s-something . . . really quickly. I-I'll be back in a moment," he stuttered nervously. Before either Petra or Jessie could question him, he rushed off out of the room. Jesse shrugged at his sudden departure, looking slightly suspicious until Petra began talking.

"Hey, Jessie," She looked nervous. "Can I tell you something?"

"What's up, Petra?" They began to walk slowly across the Order Hall.

It took a moment for Petra to continue. "You remember the day that I left adventuring on my own, right?"

"Of course."

"First, can I ask you what that day was like for you?" She was hesitant.

Jessie wasn't sure what to say, but she decided to be truthful. "Well, for starters, it was so hard to wave goodbye to you that day. I was so, so close to going with you. But my heart was in Beacontown just as much as it was with you. I was already so homesick from our adventures in the Portal Hallway. And then spending so much time at home working to make Beacontown a better place, that really attached me to it. Don't get me wrong, I love adventure, and I love exploring with my friends- I hate that our group is broken up- but I felt that it was time to settle down."

Petra listened as they stopped at the other end of the Order Hall. "I get you. It's the same way with me and adventuring. I can't stand to be cooped up in one place for too long. It's in my blood, it's my life force, almost." She turned away from Jessie and walked by the armor stands set up there. "When I left, I was really hoping that you would end up coming. As I began walking, I was saying to myself, 'Maybe she'll come along, maybe she'll come along', but when you chose to stay in Beacontown, it hurt. I could tell that you weren't exactly happy as you waved goodbye, and I was so upset as I waved back. I was crushed that you weren't going to stick with me." Jessie frowned, looking sad as Petra described her feelings. But even though she wanted to say something, she let Petra continue. "And at first, I really, really, _really_ missed all of you guys. With every step I took, I remembered different things that we've all gone through together, all the times I wish had lasted longer. I actually came close to crying sometimes. A lot of times, I wondered about all of us, about our friendship, and if we would ever become like the Old Order of the Stone. I could just imagine us ending up like them, broken apart, not even friends anymore. I mean, Ivor has spent a lot of time trying to heal their friendship, and still, barely anything has come out of it. Soren still hasn't even shown his face since he ran away from the Witherstorm! Or what if we turned out to be just like the Admins? They used to be really close friends. But in the end, their friendship turned out irreparable after all the things that happened, Fred, Romeo, and Xara- they're all dead!" She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around her self as her voice dropped to a whisper. "I didn't want that to happen to us."

Even though they didn't know if Xara was dead for sure, Jessie said nothing but walked over and laid a hand on Petra's shoulders, silently giving her support. After a shaky breath, Petra continued. "That was all I was thinking about at first. But then- I don't know when exactly- something changed. I realized that we are nothing like the Old Order of the Stone or the Admins. Because we are loyal to each other. We will be friends to the very end- and nothing can change that- not distance, not time- nothing- we won't end up like them because we won't betray each other. And it's okay that we have our separate lives. Because that's what makes us individuals. Your heart is in Beacontown. Axel's in Boom Town. Olivia's in Redstonia. Everyone has their place to call home. And for a while, I didn't. I didn't know where my home was, and that made me feel, I don't know, left out? Unwanted? I didn't have the same understanding as you guys- I thought that it would be best for us to stick together for our whole lives." She turned around and looked Jesse in the eye. "But then I found my home in exploring. Alone, by myself. Even though it was lonely, I ended up being glad that you didn't come along. Not that I wouldn't want your company, but that I needed the experience. I really did grow. I realized that I belonged in the open, uncivilized nature. And even though my place is there, we would still be friends. In fact, I realized that it was better this way because friends support each other's dreams and lives, and the best way to do that is to let each one of us live our own lives. Don't get me wrong, I still miss you guys a lot, but I don't depend on us being together anymore. I know this sounds cliché, but, I found myself. I truly did." At this, she smiled.

Jessie smiled back. "I'm glad," she responded simply.

They stood in contented silence for a moment before Petra rubbed the back of her neck. "I think it's time for me to hit the road again," she said. They began walking back towards the entrance of the Order Hall.

"You be sure to come to visit soon. And often," Jessie said.

"I definitely will," Petra replied. They stopped at the door. "Hey, Jessie?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For everything." She pulled the shorter girl into a hug.

"Stay safe out there," Jessie reminded her.

"Of course." They pulled apart.

"Bye, Petra!" With a final wave, Petra walked out the door into the cold night and was gone.

Jessie was now alone in the Order Hall. She walked back to the main area, gazing at the wonderful mess she and her friends had made. Lluna walked up to her and she patted the llama's head gently. "Looks like we'll have a lot to do tomorrow," she commented quietly. Lluna simply made a noise and nuzzled her hand.

The sound of the door opening caused Jesse to turn back to the entrance. She watched as Radar hustled in. "Hey, boss," he said nervously. Lukas walked in after him, his hands behind his back.

"Radar, Lukas!" Jessie greeted them. "You're back!" The two boys came into the room slowly.

Jessie looked at Lukas suspiciously as he seemed to be acting weirdly. "Lukas? Are you hiding something behind your back?"

He grinned sheepishly and pulled out a large box from behind his back, wrapped with a silky bow. "Radar and I wanted to give you something more for Christmas," he explained. "It was his idea."

"He was the one who gave me the idea in the first place," Radar admitted as the three sat down amidst the jumble of unwrapping scraps.

"Well," Lukas grinned nervously. "Merry Christmas, Jessie." He placed the box carefully on the floor in front of her.

Jessie gingerly pulled the bow loose, letting the ribbon fall down gracefully. Holding her breath in anticipation, she pulled off the lid, setting it aside-

Over the side of the box, a little piglet popped its head out.

Jessie's eyes widened. She stared at the little thing as it oinked softly, memories of her best friend surfacing unbidden, fresh in her memory and flashing before her eyes in moments.

 _She was sitting by a waterfall, the roaring water strangely calming. A special pig, her Reuben was running around, splashing in the shallow part of the water. Ever since she met him there, they went back to that place at least once a year.  
"Hey Reuben!" she shouted. "It's time to start heading home!"  
He squealed and shook his head.  
"I know you want to play some more, but we really have to go!" She put a hand on her hip as she approached the waterside. As soon as she got close enough, however, Reuben sent a big splash her way, drenching her legs. "Hey!" she shouted, although her eyes danced with merriment. "That's not very nice." She crossed her arms over her chest until he reluctantly clambered on shore. He grunted slightly, head down. "It's okay Reuben," she reassured him. He reared on his hind legs and put his front legs on Jessie, grinning. She laughed and picked him up even though he was still wet. She hugged him to her chest. "I love you, Reuben," she whispered down to him.  
"BOO!" Axel with his creeper mask jumped up from the trapdoor, scaring the life out of her and Olivia. Reuben squealed from his perch on the chest and tumbled to the floor, legs flailing. He rushed up and head-butted Axel's legs before going to stand by her side with narrowed eyes.  
But that was forgotten as soon as Axel pulled out the Ender Dragon costume and pulled it onto Reuben. Delighted with his EnderCon costume, the pig ran around the treehouse, oinking happily. He jumped onto a chest and looked at the three humans proudly before going over to stand in front of Axel as thanks.  
She was gathering materials for their EnderCon build. Reuben was helping her build up her strength by sitting on her back as she did two-handed and then one-handed push-ups and sitting on her feet as she did sit-ups.  
She was watching as Aiden angrily punched a block of stone "accidentally", releasing lava that set Reuben on fire.  
She was gladly trading the stone sword Petra gave her to save Reuben from the butcher.  
She was giving her cookie to Lukas as she watched Reuben munch happily on his own.  
She was riding the rails in the Nether with Reuben, both terrified out of their wits yet strangely exhilarated.  
She was in the End, Reuben running along beside her.  
She was everywhere. He was everywhere. In every memory, Reuben was at her side. Everything was a blur- their first big adventure was jumbled up, situations unclear, a swirl of colors and sounds, it was chaotic._

Until that one memory. She remembered every detail crystal clear.

 _She was startled as Reuben jumped onto her. "Reuben, this is no place for a PIIIIIIIIIIG!" They shot into the sky together, Reuben squealing as he tumbled through the air. "AAAAAH!" she was screaming as they entered the Wither Storm through an opening on its side.  
"AAAH!" She was yelling against as she and Reuben fell to the inside of the monster. Reuben made a few little grunts as they both bounced off of blocks onto the "ground". She was sitting up and gently scolding him. "Reuben, you shouldn't have surprised me like that." Her pig hung his head a little. "Then again," she was adding on while standing up, "I'm kinda glad not to be alone in here." She was watching him cautiously look around. "Just stay close, okay?"  
She was examining the area, looking at withered citizens as he was going a little bit ahead. As everything shook and turned sideways, she was watching Reuben as they both tumbled to the new "floor". She was calling worriedly after Reuben once he saw the withered butcher and, terrified, began running away, oinking loudly. "Reuben, wait up!"  
She was falling to the ground as the Wither Storm shook and turned sideways again and as she lost sight of her pig, only to see a glimpse of an open chamber before her. She was running anxiously forwards as the place trembled, and fell flat on her face, Reuben coming up to her to see if she was alright.  
She was looking awestruck at the center of the Wither Storm, at the Command Block displayed as the centerpiece. "Woah," she was gasping, getting to her feet again. Her jaw was dropping as she muttered quietly to herself. "Wo-wuh . . ." She was approaching it, Reuben at her side. "There it is."  
She was looking up at it with a strange, almost reverent tone in her voice. "We meet again, Command Block." She was pulling her enchanted diamond sword out from behind her back with a_shing _!"Now it's time to destroy you." Her voice was full of resolve, and her face was drawn together with seriousness. She was running up the makeshift stairs to it, her arm was drawing back-_  
 _She was striking it the first time, the clang of sword on block resounding._  
 _She was watching as tentacles of the Wither Storm were unfurling above her, listening to Reuben's oinks of alarm. "What in the-" Her exclamation was cut short as she was ducking to avoid the swing of one tentacle, before losing her balance and falling off the platform with a small shout._  
 _She was voicing her concerns to her best friend. "Reuben, I think we made it angry."_  
 _She was dodging a few swipes from other tentacles in the space, Reuben right behind her. She was groaning. "Ohh great." She was looking down at Reuben briefly, reminding him of their goal. "Reuben, whatever happens, we have to destroy that Command Block, you understand?" She was turning away, sword at the ready, as Reuben sprang up with a squeal directed towards the Wither Storm._  
 _She was marveling at her sword as she cut off one of the tentacles. "Woah." She was grinning as she looked at the sword. "Why didn't I_ always _carry an enchanted weapon?"_  
 _She was turning to defend her pig. "I'm coming, Reuben!" She was chopping off another tentacle as Reuben quivered. She was running back up towards the center. "It's doing everything it can to protect the command block, which means I have to do everything I can to destroy it," she was saying quietly, Reuben running along with her. "Awesome weapon, don't fail me now."_  
 _She was hacking at more tentacles with a few grunts of effort to clear the way to the Command Block. She was striking at it a second time, stumbling backward from the force of the blow. She was scrabbling for footing with a terrified scream and tumbling to the ground as the Wither Storm turned upside down. She was standing up and looking up at the Command Block, now on the "ceiling". "Holy moly! This thing won't die!"_  
 _She was talking to Reuben. "Alright, new plan. I'll climb up there and use one of those tentacles to swing toward the Command Block." She was ordering him firmly. "Stay here. I mean it this time."_  
 _She was climbing up the sides of the chamber, jumping onto one of the Wither Storm's heads before it shook her off and she tumbled to the ground with a cry. "Where did that come from?" She was throwing herself down to avoid the tractor beam when Reuben ran up to her, oinking in worry. "Reuben, I thought I told you to stay put!" she was scolding him before he squealed in alarm. She was dodging multiple tractor beams and found herself on the edge of a gaping chasm._  
 _She was watching as a tractor beam picked up a piece of tentacle she had cut off and floated it into the air. "Wait._ _I know_ exactly _how to get up there." Reuben was oinking as if to ask what her idea was. She was grinning as she thought more about her idea. "The tractor beams!" Reuben looked at her questioningly.  
She was shouting to get the attention of the head. "Hey, you!" She was quickly warning Reuben, briefly turning her head to look at him. "Reuben, stay out of sight. If anything goes wrong, I don't want you caught up in it." She was turning back to the Wither Storm head. "Bet you can't catch me!"  
She was quietly moaning in fear as the tractor beam picked her up, Reuben oinking in concern beneath her. She was stabbing the eye of the head to shut down the tractor beam as she grabbed on and climbed on top of the head. She was gripping onto the head as she glanced at the huge chasm in the "floor". "Why did I have to look down," she moaned, the head swaying beneath her.  
She was jumping with a grunt of effort to a tentacle, grunting again as she slammed into it and grabbed it. She was eyeing the Command Block when another tentacle hit her from behind, latching onto her and knocking her sword out of her hand. She was upside-down, watching as her sword clattered to the ground. "No, no, no no no, NO!" she was shouting.  
She was watching as Reuben cautiously approached the sword, snuffling softly. "Reuben, I need your help!" she was calling down, Reuben looking up and rearing back at the sound of her voice. "Remember how we used to play fetch?" He grinned, and then, with a look of determination in his eyes, picked up the sword with his mouth. "That's it, that's it!" she was encouraging him. "C'mon Reuben, I believe in you!" Reuben began hopping up the sides.  
She was swinging out of the way of the snapping jaws of the damaged head. Reuben jumped onto a tentacle and galloped down it toward her. "Jump, I'll catch you!" she was shouting.  
She was gripping Reuben tightly by one foreleg. "You did it. I knew I could count on you," she was saying proudly. She was carefully taking the sword from him with her left hand. "Now, to end this thing once and for-" Reuben was squealing as the head lashed out and bit down on his hind legs tightly. "Reuben!" she was shouting in alarm. "Hold on buddy!"_

 _Her hand slipped just as the Wither Storm head let go._

 _Everything slowed down. Reuben seemed to hang in the air for a moment before beginning to fall, fear coming onto his face. The head chomped down, barely missing the pig as he squealed and dropped through the chasm. "REUBENNNN!" She was crying out as she watched her best friend fall. "NOOOOOOO!" Shock and grief filled her scream.  
Then anger filled her. "RAAAAAH!" She turned toward the Command Block even as she hung upside-down in the grip of the tentacle. Her rage nearly blinded her as she stabbed at the Command Block with everything she had for the third and final time. The Wither Storm had taken away her pig, her best friend, her Reuben- and it was going to pay.  
The Command Block glowed white as it exploded. The whole Wither Storm immediately powered down, the head hanging and the tentacles going limp, releasing her. She screamed lightly as she fell down the same chasm Reuben had.  
The Wither Storm was exploding as she fell through the air, screaming. She landed in the water with a splash, quickly swimming to the surface and gasping for breath. She looked around her, at the remains of the Wither Storm dropping around her, the sky turning blue again, and the Endermen screaming at the sun before teleporting away.  
"There you are!" came Olivia's worried voice as she hopped down to the edge of the water.  
Axel was right behind her, sounding relieved. "Jesse. Are you alright? We thought you were -" He trailed off weakly. "I mean, you look like you've made it."  
She swam to shore and clambered out, her mind only on her pig. "Reuben- where's Reuben?" she asked desperately.  
"I thought he was with you!" Olivia and Axel looked worried.  
"Guys, look!" Petra came running up to them, Lukas behind her. Axel and Olivia turned around to see her. "My sickness is gone!" She smiled happily while holding up her arm to show that she was, indeed, Wither sickness-free.  
"Oh, Petra!" exclaimed Olivia. "I'm so happy for you!"  
Though she was happy as well, all she could think about was Reuben and frowned slightly.  
Suddenly, she heard the familiar oinking of a pig. Her eyes widened.  
"Hey, hey!" Lukas interjected quietly. "Do you guys hear something?"  
She turned around, scanning behind her until she caught sight of her pig, lying on the ground a little way away. "Reuben!"  
She immediately ran to him, her friends close behind her. She slowed down as she approached and took in his pale form, lying on his side and whimpering in pain. Petra gasped at the sight. "Oh no," said Olivia quietly.  
Reuben turned his head to look up at her. "Reuben," she said softly. She knelt down as she spoke quietly, her voice quivering. "You're a hero, you know that? You just helped save the world." Her voice faded to a whisper at the end. Reuben's head began to lower a little as he breathed heavily. "C'mon, Reuben, say something," she pleaded.  
He lifted his head and tried to get up, making small noises. But it was too much for his weary body, and he collapsed again.  
"It's okay boy, I'm here," she said tenderly, her voice shaking. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep the tears from coming. "I'm here," she reassured him.  
He looked up at her, trying as hard as he could to keep his eyes wide open and to stay strong for her. But exhaustion overtook him and his head dropped to the ground. Lifting her hand away, her eyes widened, watching him lie there.  
And then, after a moment, he was gone. He burst in a puff of smoke, his only remains being a single pork chop.  
Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at it, hanging her head. She tenderly reached out and took the pork chop into her hands and stood up, staring at it. She didn't hear the words from her friends meant to comfort her or notice the freed townspeople surrounding her, as her eyes were fixed on all that was left of him._

 _Reuben. Her Pig. Her best friend. Every little snuffle, grunt, oink, or squeal, every playful movement and loving look, everything that Reuben was to her- all gone, all taken away from her by one destructive sweep of fate. Never again would she ever see Reuben, hear Reuben, talk to Reuben- he was gone. Forever. And nothing could change that. She loved her little pig with all of her heart, and it broke her heart when he left this world. Her Reuben._

Only a few moments had passed, but it felt like an eternity to Jesse. As she remembered Reuben's heroic yet tragic death, her eyes began to water and her lips trembled. Lukas and Radar were watching closely, trying to gauge her reaction. Seeing that Jessie looked about to cry, Radar began to panic and ramble, waving his arms in front of him.

"Oh no, Jessie, boss, don't cry- I'm so sorry, we weren't trying to make you sad, we aren't intending for her to be a replacement for Reuben, we just thought that you might like another companion- I mean, you already have Lluna now, but still, I know how special Reuben was to you- well, actually, I don't know, but he was your best friend, Lukas, sir, said (I wouldn't know since I didn't become your assistant until after, _ahem_ , y'know he, yeah)- and we thought that you might like another pig perhaps- and I don't ever know what to do when girls cry, oh, it makes me feel so awkward, and especially since she's my boss- I mean, my former boss- and ohh, are you alright Jessie- I'm so sorry . . ."

Lukas was much calmer and more collected, though also concerned. "Hey," he said quietly, placing a hand on Jessie's shoulder. "Are you okay, Jessie?"

Looking at the floor, she half nodded, then half shook her head, then gave up and buried her face in her hands, her small frame shaking with her quiet sobs. At this Radar freaked out and jumped up. "Jessie!" he exclaimed, worry all over his face. Then he felt awkward, not knowing what to do. "Uhh, what should I do, what should I do?" he muttered quietly to himself. "Should I go over to her- but would that be weird?- but would it be weird if I just stood here-"

Lukas, unsure of what to do himself, bit his lip nervously before carefully pulling Jessie into a hug, letting her sob into his chest. Radar made his way over the litter to them. "Group hug! Er-" He made a weird face at his own statement. "I'll just, uh-" He sat down nervously. "I'll just sit here and-" He patted Jesse gently on the back. "Yeah . . ." He trailed off weakly.

"He was such a good pig," Jessie whispered into Lukas. "I miss him so much."

She felt something wet on her hand. Somehow, the little piglet had snuck her way onto Jessie's lap and was nuzzling her hand gently and reminding her of her gift.

She began to think. Would Reuben want her to hold onto him, to forever grieve over him? Of course, there was a time to mourn his death, but . . . That was a really long time ago, and she was still holding on to him. Maybe . . . Maybe it was time to let go. Of course, she would still miss him with all of her heart, but he would want her to remember the happy things and be happy when she thought about him, not sad because he was gone. And this new pig needed a home and lots of love, too. It wouldn't be wrong if she loved this pig too. It wouldn't mean that she loved Reuben any less, but that her heart was bigger and she was able to love more.

With a final sniff, she pulled out of the embrace, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve.

"Are you- okay- Jessie?" Radar asked cautiously, looking afraid that she would burst into tears again at any moment.

"Yeah." Surprisingly, she found herself able to smile. "Yeah, I'm okay." She looked at the piglet in her lap and rubbed her head gently, listening to her snorts and oinks of happiness.

"About . . . Reuben," Lukas said carefully, hesitantly, beginning an unfinished question.

"I miss him," Jessie answered, patting the little pig on the head. "I really do. At first, I wanted to cling to him. Seeing this little thing-" The piglet grunted softly as if she knew Jessie was talking about her. "It made me remember him, and I didn't want to let him go. I didn't want a replacement for Reuben. I was afraid that if I let this pig into my life that I would somehow love Reuben less. But that's not true. Allowing myself to, or, I should say, opening myself up, won't make me love him any less, but it will make my love grow more." She smiled as she watched the piglet tumble out of her lap with a gentle smile.

"Soo, you're not angry?" Radar asked nervously, clasping his hands together at his chest.

Jessie laughed. "Of course not! In fact, I'm really happy." She pulled Radar and Lukas both into a side hug with each arm. "Thanks so much, you guys. It was so thoughtful of you."

Radar blushed. "Aww, it wasn't that much . . ." he said modestly, a small smile on his face.

"Anything for you, Jesse," was Lukas' reply. He grinned.

The little pig climbed up onto Jessie's lap again, nudging her stomach to remind her that she was present.

"So, you got a name for her?" Lukas asked, reaching over to pat the pig on the head. She oinked happily at him as Lluna sniffed her suspiciously.

Jessie picked her up to look at her. She noticed her eyes reminded her of Reuben's- moving in awareness and expression, though slightly less wide. She saw the large star-shaped birthmark on her side, on the opposite side that Reuben's saddle-like marking was.

She thought carefully before deciding on a name. "I'm going to name you. . . ."

* * *

 _Ugh, I hope the whole Reuben-clinging thing wasn't too awkward. O_O As I was writing it I found it really running away from where I wanted it to go._

 _I hope you enjoyed my MCSM Christmas One-shot. And just so you know, I probably will eventually fully write out the gift-opening scenes, maybe even put in a little blurb about Lukas and Radar struggling to put the pig into the box. ; )_

 _Fun Fact: I was originally planning on just writing about Jesse getting a pig for Christmas. And that turned into this, in its 7,738-word glory (or maybe shame?)_

 _Please drop a review if you have comments or questions or speculation about this fic. I would very much appreciate it, and I will be sure to try and reply you as best as I can._

 _Once again, have a Merry Christmas celebrating and remembering how Jesus Christ, God, came down to earth as a human baby and the story of his perfect life, death, and resurrection to save every person, every sinner, in the world in the past, present, and future._

 _ITNOJ-SHB_ 😉


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